young man who was designated as Humphrey Chetham. pursuivant and his officers are in search of you."

"The

"Then they shall not need to go far to find me," replied the prophetess. "I will tell them what I told this mob, that the day of bloody retribution is at hand, that the avenger is arrived. I have seen him twice,—once in my cave, and once again here,— even where you stand."

"If you do not keep silence and fly, my poor creature," rejoined Humphrey Chetham, "you will have to endure what you suffered years ago,-stripes, and perhaps torture. Be warned by me-ah! it is too late. He is approaching."

"Let him come," replied Elizabeth Orton, "I am ready for him."

"Can none of you force her away ?" cried Humphrey Chetham, appealing to the crowd; "I will reward you."

"I will not stir from this spot," rejoined the prophetess, obstinately, "I will testify to the truth."

The kind-hearted young merchant, finding any further attempt to preserve her fruitless, drew aside.

By this time, the pursuivant and his myrmidons had come up. "Seize her!" cried the former, " and let her be placed within this prison till I have reported her to the commissioners. If you will confess to me, woman," he added, in a whisper to her, "that you have harboured a priest, and will guide us to his hidingplace, you shall be set free."

"I know of no priests but those you have murthered," returned the prophetess, in a loud voice," but I will tell you something that you wot not of. The avenger of blood is at hand. I have seen him. All here have seen him. And shall see him; you

but

not now-not now." "What is the meaning of this raving ?" demanded the pursui

vant.

"You had better pay no heed to her talk, master pursuivant," interposed Humphrey Chetham: "she is a poor crazed being, who knows not what she says. I will be surety for her inoffen

sive conduct."

"You must give me surety for yourself, Master Chetham," replied the officer. "I have just learnt that you were last night at Ordsall Hall, the seat of that dangerous temporiser,'-for such he is designated in my warrant,-Sir William Radcliffe ; and if report speaks truly, you are not altogether insensible to the charms of his fair daughter, Mistress Viviana."

"What is this to thee, thou malapert knave ?" cried Humphrey Chetham, reddening partly from anger, partly, it might be, from another emotion.

"Much, as you shall presently find, good Master Wolf-insheep's-clothin," retorted the pursuivant, "if you prove not a rank Papist at heart, then do I not know a true man from a false."

This angry conference was cut short by a piercing scream from the prophetess. Breaking from the grasp of her captors, who were about to force her into the prison, she sprang with a single bound upon the parapet of the bridge, and utterly regardless of her

dangerous position, turned, and faced the officers, who were struck mute with astonishment.

"Tremble!" she cried in a loud voice,-"tremble, ye evil-doers! Ye who have despoiled the house of God,-have broken his altars, -scattered his incense,-slain his priests. Tremble, I say. The avenger is arrived. The bolt is in his hand. It shall strike king, lords, commons,-all! These are my last words,-take them to

heart."

"Drag her off!" cried the pursuivant, angrily.

"Use care-use gentleness, if ye are men!" cried Humphrey Chetham.

"Think not you can detain me!" cried the prophetess. แ "Avaunt, and tremble!"

So saying, she flung herself from the parapet.

The

The height from which she fell was about fifty feet. water was dashed into the air like jets from a fountain by the weight and force of the descending body. The waves instantly closed over her; but she rose to the surface of the stream, about twenty yards below the bridge.

"She may yet be saved," cried Humphrey Chetham, who with the bystanders had hurried to the side of the bridge.

"You will only preserve her for the gallows," observed the pursuivant.

"Your malice shall not prevent my making the attempt,” replied the young merchant. "Ha! assistance is at hand."

This exclamation was occasioned by the sudden appearance of the soldier in the Spanish dress, who rushed towards the left bank of the river, which was here, as elsewhere, formed of red sandstone rock, and following the course of the current, awaited the next appearance of the drowning woman This did not occur till she had been carried a considerable distance down the stream, when the soldier, swiftly divesting himself of his cloak, plunged into the water, and dragged her ashore.

"Follow me," cried the pursuivant to his attendants. "I will not lose my prey."

But before he gained the bank of the river the soldier and his charge had disappeared, nor could he detect any traces of them.

CHAPTER II.

ORDSALL CAVE.

AFTER rescuing the unfortunate prophetess from a watery grave in the manner just related, the soldier snatched up his cloak, and, taking his dripping burthen in his arms, hurried swiftly along the bank of the river, until he came to a large cleft in the rock, into which he crept, taking his charge with him, and thus eluded observation. In this retreat he continued upwards of two hours, during which time the poor creature, to whom he paid every attention that circumstances would admit, had so far recovered as to be able to speak. But it was evident that the shock had been too much for her, and that she was sinking fast. She was so faint that she could scarcely move; but she expressed a strong desire to reach her cell

before she breathed her last. Having described its situation as accurately as she could to the soldier, who before he ventured forth peeped out to ascertain that no one was on the watch— he again raised her in his arms, and by her direction struck into a narrow lane skirting the bank of the river. Pursuing this road for about half a mile, he arrived at the foot of a small eminence, covered by a clump of magnificent beech-trees, and still acting under the guidance of the 'dying woman, whose voice grew more feeble each instant, he mounted this knoll, and from its summit took a rapid survey of the surrounding country. On the opposite bank of the river stood an old hall, while further on, at some distance, he could perceive through the trees the gables and chimneys of another ancient mansion.

"Raise me up," said Elizabeth Orton, as he lingered on this spot for a moment. "In that old house, which you see yonder, Hulme Hall, I was born. I would willingly take one look at it before I die."

"And the other hall which I discern through the trees is Ordsall, is it not?" inquired the soldier.

"It is," replied the prophetess. "And now let us make what haste we can. We have not far to go; and I feel I shall not last long."

Descending the eminence, and again entering the lane, which here made a turn, the soldier approached a grassy space, walled in on either side by steep sandstone rocks. Proceeding to the further extremity of this enclosure, after a moment's search, by the direction of his companion, he found, artfully concealed by overhanging brushwood, the mouth of a small cave. Creeping into the excavation, he found it about six feet high, and of considerable depth. The roof was ornamented with Runic characters and other grotesque and half-effaced inscriptions, while the sides of the rock were embellished with Gothic tracery, amid which the letters I. H. S. carved in ancient church text, could be easily distinguished. Tradition assigned the cell to the priests of Odin, but it was evident that worshippers at other and holier altars had more recently made it their retreat. Its present occupant had furnished it with a straw pallet and a small wooden crucifix fixed in a recess in the wall. Gently depositing her upon the pallet, the soldier took a seat beside her on a stone slab at the foot of the bed. He next, at her request, as the cave was rendered almost wholly dark by the overhanging trees, struck a light, and set fire to a candle placed within a lantern. After a few moments passed in prayer, the recluse begged him to give her the crucifix that she might clasp it to her breast. This done, she became more composed, and prepared herself to meet her end. Suddenly, as if something had again disturbed her, she passed her hand once or twice rapidly across her face, and then, as with a dying effort, started up, and stretched out her hands.

"I see him before them!" she cried. "They examine him, --they adjudge him! Ah! he is now in a dungeon! See, the torturers advance! He is placed on the rack-once-twice they apply the engine! Mercy! he confesses! He is led to execution. I see him ascend the scaffold!"

"Whom do you behold?" inquired the soldier.

"His face is hidden from me," replied the prophetess ; " but his figure is not unlike your own. Ha! I hear the executioner pro

nounce his name. How are you called?"

"GUY FAWKES," replied the soldier.

"It is the name I heard," rejoined Elizabeth Orton. And, sinking backward, she expired.

Guy Fawkes gazed at her for some time till he felt assured that the last spark of life had fled. He then turned away, and placing his hand upon his chin, was buried in deep reflection.

THE LETTER-BAG OF THE GREAT WESTERN.

BY SAM SLICK.

We have pleasure in here presenting our readers with a communication forwarded by Sam Slick, through the "Letter Bag of the Great Western" (which by this time is open for delivery to the public).—[EDIT.]

LETTER FROM A STOKER.

LAST nite as ever was in Bristul, Captain Claxton ired me for to go to Americka on boord this steemer Big West un as a stoker, and them as follered me all along the road from Lunnun, may foller me there tuo if they liks, and be damned to em, and much good may it do them tuo, for priggin in England aint no sin in the States, where every man if free to do as he pleseth, and ax no uns lif neither, and wher there is no pelisse, nor constables, nor Fleets, nor Newgates, and no need of reforms. I couldn't sleep all nite for lafeing, when I thort ou they'd stare wen they eard i was off, and tuck the plate of Lord Springfield off with me, and they looking all round Bristul, and ad their panes for there trouble. I havent wurk so ard sinse I rund away from farmer Doggins the nite he was noked off his orse and made to stand, and lost his purs of munny as he got fur his corn, as I av sinse I listed for a stoker. Ime blest if it arnt cruel ard wurk ear. I wurks in the cole ole day and nite, a moving cole for the furniss, which never goes out, but burns for ever and ever; and there is no hair; it is so ot my mouth is eated, so that what I drinks, smox and isses as if it were a ort iron, and my flesh is as dry as ung beef, and the only consholation I av is Ide a been ung beef in ernest if they ad a nabbed me afore I left Bristul, all owin to Bill Sawyer peachin on me. No wun would no me now, for I am as black as the ace of spades as was, and so is my shurt, and for clene shetes, how long wood they be clene and me in them; and my skin is cracked like roastid pig, when there be not fat enough to baste it, or yu to lazy to du it, which was often your case, and well you corhut for it to when I was out of sorts, which was enuf to vex a man ast risked his life to get it; and then my eyes is soar with dust as comes from the cole, and so stiff, I arent power to shute them, because they be so dry, and my mouth tasts sulfur always, as bad as them as go to the devil in earnest, as Sally Mander did. I have no peace at all, and will not be sorry when it's over; if i survive it, blow me if I will. I smells like

roste beaf, and the rats cum smelling round me as iv they'd like to have a cut and com agin, but they will find it a tuff business and no gravy, as the frenchman said who lived tuo hull weaks on his shuse, and dide wen he cum to the heles, which he said was rather tuo much; but i can't say I like their company a morsel more nor Bill Sawyerses, and blast me if I donte be even with him, if he comes to Americka, for that gud turn he did me in blowing on me for the silver wich if he adnt dun ide a bin living at my ease at ome with you, and may be married you, if you and the children ad behaved well, and showed yourselves wurthy of it; as it is i can't say whether we are to mete agin or not; but I will rite to you when I lands the plate, and let you no what my prospect is in my line in New York. Then my shuse is so ard, they brake like pycrust, and my clothes wat with wat cum'd out of me like rain at fust, and the steme that cums out like wise, which is oncredibill, and wat with the dust as cum out of the cole, is set like mortar, and as stiff as cement, and stand up of themselves as strate as a christian, so they do; and if I ad your and in my and it would melt like butter, and you that is so soft woud run away like a candle with a thief in it; so you are better off where you be than here till I cool down agin and cum tuo, for I'me blest if I woodn't sit a bed a-fire I'me so ort. This is orrid wurk for him as has more silver in his bag than arf the passengers as, and is used to do as little wurk as the best of them is. I've got urted in my cheek with a stone that busted arter it got red ort in the grate, and flew out with an exploshun like a busted biler; only I wish it had been water insted, for it would have been softer nor it was, for it was as ard as a cannun-ball, it noked down tuo of my teeth, and then noked me down, and made a smell like searin a 'orses tail with red ort irn, which is the cause of its not bleeding much, tho' it swelled as big as a turnip, which accashuns me to keep wun eye shut, as it's no use to open it when it's swelled all over it, for I can't sea. If that's the way peepul was stoned to death, as I've eared when I was a boy, when there was profits in religion, it must have been a painful end, as I no to my cost, who was most drowned holden my ed in a tub of water to squench the red ort stone, which made the water tuo ort to bear any longer, and wen I tuked it out it was tuo much eated to old in my and. My feet also looks like a tin cullundur or a sifter full of small oles, were the red ort sinders have burned into the bone. Them as node me wonce woodn't swear to me now, with a ole in my face as big as my mouth, that I adn't afore, and tuo back-teeth out, as I had afore, and my skin as black as ink, and my flesh like dride codfish, and my hare dride wite and frizzed with the eat like neager's, or goose fethers in ort ashes to make quills, and me able to drink a gallon of porter without wunce taking breth, and not fele it for ewaporation, and my skin so kivered with dust and grit, you could sharpen a knife on it, and my throte furred up like a ship's biler, and me that cood scarcely scroudge thro' a windur, that can now pass out of a kee-ole, and not tear my clothes in the wards. Wun cumfut is, I was not see-sick, unless being sick of the see, for I have no licker in me; for whatever I eat is baked into pot py and no gravy, which cums of the grate eat in the furniss; and burns raises no blisters, for they ain't any watter inside to make